If you are looking to leave your old career behind, reinvent your life, and begin your Encore journey, there are only two things you need to get started: clarity and courage.

The formula is simple, so why then do many people feel “stuck” and unable to create momentum towards their new vision? Why do we stay in the cycle of indecision and inaction for months, years, and sometimes decades? Why are we not using our unique gifts and talents to contribute to the world in a way that lights us up and brings us fulfillment?

After working with clients in 7 countries, I can tell you one of the leading causes of stagnation is a false belief that clarity precedes courage.

We tell ourselves we will start a new career when the timing is “right.” We think we need more time to develop the “perfect” plan. If we just read one more motivational book, attend one more seminar, go to one more yoga class, or watch one more episode of Oprah, we will have the “a-ha moment.” The perfect plan will fall from the sky and reveal itself. We want to be certain everything will work out exactly the way we want, on our exact timeline, with zero chance of failure.

But that’s not the way the Universe works, now is it?

The truth is, nothing worthwhile has ever been created in the world with a known attachment to the outcome. The Wright Brothers crashed many flying machines before they achieved manned flight. Thomas Edison had over 1000 failed attempts at creating the lightbulb. A quick google search will help you find the terrible first drafts to some of the most iconic movie scripts ever written.

If you are serious about closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be in your life, courage must come before clarity. You must be willing to take courageous action and trust that the plan will come into focus over time.

A recent client of mine demonstrates this concept perfectly.

Kelly was a stay-at-home mom with a lifelong dream to be a television host on QVC. The challenge? She had zero prior experience. She had no agent and no contacts in the entertainment industry. She had no audition reel to send in, and the most recent job on her resume was as a group fitness instructor.

Most people would wait until everything was “perfect” to get started, but my client and I made a pact to take courageous, imperfect action. Rather than wait to save money for the $300 luxury salon haircut and color, she went to Supercuts and got a $14 haircut. Instead of waiting to buy the designer clothes at Nordstrom for her headshots, she went to Target and bought a cute, affordable outfit from the sale rack. With no contacts in TV to tape a professional audition reel, she created an MP3 of her “selling” her favorite products.

She got everything together and clicked the submission link on the website…Then found out she had missed the deadline to submit her materials. Her heart sank. Did she wait too long and let her dream pass her by? Was she stupid for even wanting to pursue this in the first place? Most people would have used this as an excuse to give up and say things “never work out” for them. Yet, a little voice in her head told her she should send her materials to the casting director’s email anyway. Within seconds of pressing send, the automatic reply message came back saying the deadline had been extended to February 1st. Truth: It’s not your place to worry about HOW to get something done. When you show up with courage for yourself and your dreams, life has a way of showing up and giving you clarity.

In this case, time literally expanded to account for her dream. Within two days, the casting agent called her back. Despite having what I’m sure was the least “professional” audition package of the applicants, he was intrigued by her story and her energy. He set up a time to walk her through a video audition on Skype, answering her questions and teaching her basics of what she needed to do as an on-camera host… because when we act with courage, clarity will always follow. A mere 11 weeks after we began working together, the stay-at-home mom with big dreams and no TV experience was asked to drive to New York City and audition in front of QVC executives. She crushed it! She was personable, she was real, she made the room laugh. She left feeling on top of the world. The casting decision is still pending, so she’s playing the waiting game. But on some level, the outcome is irrelevant… because her courage has helped her find clarity. She knows her dreams aren’t crazy. She knows her family and friends won’t judge her for trying something big. In fact, she was supported by everyone in her life.

Perhaps most importantly, she has clarity she really can be a TV host. Regardless whether she gets this particular job, she has cultivated the confidence to keep putting herself out there and taking more perfectly imperfect action.

Now over to you!

Where in your life have you been placing clarity before courage? What courageous action could you take right now to put you closer to your Encore goals?

Email dan@creativesoulcoaching.net and let me know. I will personally respond to each email!

Dan Mason is a personal coach, motivational speaker and Huffington Post Blogger. He has conducted workshops and webinars on a variety of personal growth topics. He can be reached by e-mail or at his website http://www.creativesoulcoaching.net/

According to a recent report by the Gallup organization, there are twice as many actively disengaged workers in the world as there are engaged workers who love their jobs. You can download the report here:

Can you believe that? Twice as many people hate their jobs as those who love them. But, it gets worse.

Gallup found that only 13% of workers feel engaged by their jobs. That means they feel a sense of passion for their work, a deep connection to their employer and they spend their days driving innovation and moving their company forward.

The vast majority, some 63%, are “not engaged,” meaning they are unhappy but not drastically so. In short, they’ve checked out. They sleepwalk through the day and put little energy into their work.

A full 24% of global workers are what Gallup calls “actively disengaged,” meaning they pretty much hate their jobs. They act out and undermine what their coworkers accomplish.

If you add the actively disengaged to the not engaged and you get 87% of workers worldwide who, as Gallup puts it, “are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be productive.” In other words, work is more often a source of frustration than one of fulfillment for nearly 90% of the world’s workers.

Chances are that when you look back on your pre-encore career, you can relate to these disengagement statistics because they reflect you! To avoid making an encore mistake, follow these three steps to finding Joy at Work.

So how do you create Joy at work?

#1 The first step to creating Joy at Work is to gain clarity of who you are. Each and every person has been created for a purpose and gifted by their Creator to fulfill their purpose. When your work is in alignment with your purpose, you’re more likely to experience Joy at Work.

This premise is supported by a survey conducted by the Harvard Business Review of more than 12,000 mostly white-collar employees across a broad range of companies and industries. “Employees are vastly more satisfied and productive when four of their core needs are met: physical, through opportunities to regularly renew and recharge at work; emotional, by feeling valued and appreciated for their contributions; mental, when they have the opportunity to focus in an absorbed way on their most important tasks and define when and where they get their work done; and spiritual, by doing more of what they do best and enjoy most, and by feeling connected to a higher purpose at work.”

People are more satisfied and productive when they do what they do best and enjoy the most, and when they are connected to a higher purpose. So, what do you do best?

Gaining clarity of your gifts, talents and skills is not as easy as it may sound. I am amazed at how many people I’ve worked with who didn’t have a clear understanding of their skills, their talents, and their God-given gifts. You were created uniquely with special talents and gifts. What are the talents and gifts you bring to the workplace?

#2 The second step to creating Joy at Work is finding a great job fit; that is, finding a good fit between who you are and what it takes to be successful in the job. When you try to fit who you naturally are into a role that requires something different to succeed, you are out of alignment. You’ll feel the pain of stress. On the other hand, the more you are naturally a great fit for your job, the more you’ll find that you enjoy it.

#3 The third element of finding joy at work is culture fit. You may be in the right job, but the job is in the wrong company. You can evaluate a cultural fit by assessing the core values – not the stated core values, but those that are the actual norms or standards for behaviors and decision making.

What are your personal core values? What are the non-negotiable guiding principles that would not violate – ever! (Or, if you did, you’d repent and make it right.) A person cannot consistently act in conflict with their values and beliefs. If you are surrounded by people who consistently behave in ways that are inconsistent with your values and beliefs, you’ll be uncomfortable. On the other hand, you’ll feel right at home with others who share your values.

When you are looking for a job, research the company’s core values. If you have a hard time finding them, chances are they aren’t an important part of the company’s culture. Are their core values stated in the job posting? Do they ask questions related to their values in the interview process? Do you see evidence of their values in the work environment? How do they respond when you ask questions related to their core values? Remember, the recruitment process is a mutual evaluation. You are looking for a good fit as much as the employer.

Putting it all together

Begin by gaining clarity of your strengths, your talents and your gifts. You were created specifically for a purpose and your talents and gifts are a part of fulfilling that purpose, at work and in life. Having a clear understanding of the value you bring to your job is the first step in finding Joy at Work because the second step is making sure that there is a good fit between you and your job.

Finally, it is essential that you are clear about what is important to you, what are the non-negotiable values and beliefs that you bring to your job and match them to the core values of the organization. Because you cannot consistently behave inconsistently with your values and beliefs, if there is a bad fit, you’ll be uncomfortable working in that environment.

It is up to you to take responsibility to make sure there is alignment between who you are and what the job requires for success and between your non-negotiable values and beliefs and the culture of the organization. By taking responsibility for your encore career, you have the power to create Joy at Work.

Lisa Huetteman is a company culture expert, executive coach, author of The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership, and co-creator of the Find My Perfect Job formula.

In the last six months, I have been so inspired by the significant progress and attention to the portion of the Encore Movement referred to as “purposeful aging”. In late 2016, the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging convened a powerful “Purposeful Aging” summit that brought together national thought leaders, policy makers, academia, philanthropists and media to talk about the future of aging. The report highlights that our society continues to pigeonhole 60+ years old as a time of decline and disability. A sad commentary if ever there was one!

However, on an encouraging note, the Milken Institute defined the need to change the culture of aging for individuals and to create a new future vision that promotes the many benefits of purposeful aging. This vision shows the world the many assets older adults possess to make our nation stronger through social action. This report has many valuable and deep layers of information, research and ideas. I will spend several future blog posts addressing some of these important areas.

WHEN TWO GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER

Today, I want to focus on one part of the report that covers the many benefits and opportunities for bringing together the young and the old. It was not by accident that another group of national thought leaders gathered at the Stanford Longevity Center to explore how older experienced adults can play a critical role in the lives of children and youth. This conference resulted in another ground breaking report, “Hidden in Plain Sight: How Intergenerational Relationships Can Transform Our Future”. It seems that different generations can fit together like a jig saw puzzle.

To start, let’s look at our youth where 55% of adolescents and 40% of younger children do not have the support of caring adults in their homes, schools and community. The Stanford Report pointed out that all young adults require non-cognitive emotional skills including critical thinking, problem solving, social interactions and teamwork to successfully link to life and academic success. This is where older adults can easily aid.

At the same time, the second largest generation in history has the time and inclination to give back and live their lives on purpose. They seek and need to provide meaning and positive impact for others. The research from this report cited, “The key ingredient for success in life, is the commitment of a non-parental adult to a youth’s well-being. Nothing is more important than the fate of our youth in human kind future and older adults are the key to elevating the health, education and prosperity of young people. “

Increased longevity and healthier lifestyles are other important benefits for older adults working with younger generations. A recent study of intergenerational volunteerism found that older adults have a heightened sense of well-being along with reduced risk of hypertension and lower mortality. So, the bottom line is… doing good can be good for YOU and for future generations!

GENERATION TO GENERATION CAMPAIGN.

Encore.org recently conducted a nationwide survey to determine the viability of bringing generations together. The result overwhelmingly showed that people of all generations see the important value of intergenerational relationships to link their own sense of purpose with the well-being of future generations.

In November 2016, Encore.org launched the Generation to Generation social action campaign as a win-win-win opportunity to strengthen the lives of older adults while addressing the needs of our youth and the agencies that serve youth. Over the next five years, Encore.org has set a goal of recruiting one million adults over 50+ to play an active role in helping to lift the youth in our country. Encore.org is partnering with national organizations such as AARP, National Senior Corps, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Alliance for Strong Families and Children, and VolunteerMatch.org to achieve this goal. These important organizations are looking to engage and connect older adults with our nation’s youth.

MENTORING

So, what does “purpose in action” look like? In all three reports and surveys done by Milken, Stanford and Encore, the solutions and recommendations all point to the incredible opportunities the older generation has to impart hard-earned lessons to the younger generation through mentoring. The beauty of mentoring is that it works both ways – those who are mentors end up learning as much as those who are the recipients of the mentoring!

Mentoring does not happen automatically. To help, Encore.org has set up a new five-year social action campaign that provides the framework for successful mentorship matches by working closely with agencies serving youth and volunteers.

ENCORE TAMPA BAY’S ROLE

Encore Tampa Bay is so excited to be a part of the Generation to Generation Campaign. Encore Tampa Bay is ready to put Purpose and Action together to strengthen the future generations of Tampa Bay! We will share success stories, and the many ways that you can get involved with this social action campaign. You can start this journey by going to the website www.generationtogeneration.org to learn more about the campaign and how you can find local agencies serving youth that need your talent, time and experience.

“We envision a future where the second half of adulthood is dedicated to supporting the next generation in ways that benefit old and young alike. “ Encore.org

Over the last four years Encore Tampa Bay has been committed to inspiring, educating and connecting mid-life experienced adults to their true purpose, aka: their encore.

What I continue to observe is that many people are trapped in their own thoughts about what they think they should be instead of pursuing what they really want to be! Every week I hear someone say to me “What a great idea to think about new opportunities for our second half of life”. And yet our surveys and activity reports show people are not willing or ready to take that next step….or that they even KNOW what the next step is!

What is holding us back from taking that next step? (Yes, I am including myself in this scenario). I recently read a great article that speaks to this issue, “Why Boomers Need to Stop Trying to Reinvent Themselves”. People are stuck on the idea of BEING in a new role, new business or new chapter. However, too many are short on the DOING, i.e. taking the action steps that lead to this new chapter or role.

What is holding us back?

There is no clear and perfect path. The old retirement “track” no longer works for us.

Big changes can be scary and risky!

Our inner thoughts can be the biggest barrier to acting.

We are surrounded by people who do not understand our new way of thinking.

Or perhaps it’s plain old FEAR.

Good news! It is not too late to make our New Year’s resolutions and take the first steps towards those new resolutions. A recent article, “Five New Year’s Resolutions for Older Adults” gets us started on a new list of resolutions to consider.

EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY RATHER THAN AVOID IT. It is time to acknowledge that stepping away from the established path and letting go of the roles that we have played all our lives can be a good thing. Look for support and role models along the way.

SEEK OPPORTUNITIES IN CHANGING CONDITIONS. We may not like change but it is natural, necessary and something to embrace. Acknowledge that change isn’t a threat but rather an opportunity to recreate yourself!

RESOLVE AND REFLECT ON YOUR SECOND ACT. One of the best things I continue to do is to set aside a serious chunk of time for meditation, reflection and journaling at the beginning of each year – what have I learned over the last year and what are my intentions or desires for this upcoming year.

RESOLVE TO REMOVE AND IMPROVE. The key part of making it through transitions is learning how to let go and release old habits, behaviors, activities and relationships that are no longer useful in our lives.

RESOLVE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH RISK. Your whole encore journey will require you to weigh and accept reasonable risks. What happens if you stay stuck in this place of boredom or misery versus taking a small first step towards being the person you really want to be? What has more risk? Doing nothing or trying something?

FACE YOUR FEARS. I cannot tell you how many times over the last four years I literally broke out in a cold sweat thinking “What am I doing? What happens if I fail? What will people think?” One of the most profound and helpful books that helped me to take the first step towards starting Encore Tampa Bay and following my passion was, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. The whole premise of the book is about how to conquer your hidden fear and take your life to the next level.

What are your next steps for 2017? How can you activate your New Year resolutions? As the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.”

Encore Tampa Bay is here to help you along your journey. Our website and our Tampa Bay Network of organizations and individuals are ready to help you along the way!

I challenge you to start by making a small and simple list of first steps you want to take this month:

Get an accountability buddy (look for other like-minded individuals who are in this same place)

Write down what it is that is holding you back.

List the first few specific action steps you are willing to take in the next 30 days.

Go volunteer at a local nonprofit. We will be posting many different opportunities and organizations that really need your talent and experience.

Sign up for one of our sessions or other upcoming sessions on our website under “Upcoming Events”.

“ONE OF THE GREATEST IRONIES OF LIFE IS THIS: HE OR SHE WHO SERVES ALMOST ALWAYS BENEFITS MORE THAN HE OR SHE WHO IS SERVED!”- Gordon Hinkle

There has never been a better time for experienced adults in mid-life to consider volunteering as part of their “Un-Retirement” Strategy!

Here we are in the midst of a giant social change movement where over 80 million boomers are redefining what the second half of life is going to look like for them. The key drivers for this movement are around the notion of passion, purpose, productivity…and paycheck!. So we already know that the potential for tapping into this massive pool of talent and experience can only benefit and strengthen the non-profits in our community.

The benefits of volunteering:

Volunteering can help you develop new skills. (such as leadership and technical skills)

Volunteering can provide you with more experience and exposure to working in a non-profit environment . Research done by the Conference Board found that over 35% of non-profits hire directly from their pool of volunteers and board members.

Volunteering can be good for you physically-decrease in mortality rate, increased mental functioning, lower rate of depression, not to mention increased happiness!

Volunteering can help you zero in on your true purpose and passion.

Volunteering is a great way to network with other leaders and professionals in your community, especially if you are looking for a job!

Hiring managers in the for-profit and non-profit world value volunteering as a positive factor when reviewing resumes and Linked-in profiles. Research shows that 41% of hiring managers view volunteer work equal to work/job experience. (5 Ways Volunteering Can Help Your Career)

The key here is that volunteering is not simply a wonderful way to give back to your community and to provide meaning in your life but it can help you prepare for your next encore adventure!

Hopefully you are now ready to consider volunteering as an option for this second half of life. But how do you get started? Throughout the last three years where we have held events, workshops and discussion groups in our community, we hear loud and clear that people are ready to give of their time but they don’t know which non-profit to start with or how to connect with them.

Kerry Hannon (our ‘ENCORE CONNECT” event keynote speaker ) recently wrote a great article on “How to Find the Ideal Place to Volunteer” There are nine great tips that will help you find the right place and match your skills and interest with the volunteer assignment/job. Here are a few of these tips that are really important to consider when exploring your options:

It is important to know what you have to offer and identify what you think this volunteer experience can do for you. Do you want to find your true purpose, land a job at a non-profit, integrate your skills in a new way, or try out or learn a new skill? Take some time to understand what you want to achieve from your volunteer experience.

Decide on where and how you want to make a difference. Is it to work directly with the underserved population? Is it to work on a national level or work in the comfort of your own home?

Start with baby steps. Each non-profit has its own culture and it may not work the first time out. Treat volunteering as a pilot or a learning experience. Finding the right volunteer opportunity is like dating. It has be a good fit for both the individual and the non-profit.

Encore Tampa Bay Is Here To Help Connect Talent To Our Community:

One of the key components of Encore Tampa Bay’s mission is to connect encore talent to our community. Our Encore Connect event in March was a huge success with so many attendees asking for more opportunities to get face-to-face with their next “encore destination”.

Encore Connect: Opportunities in our Non-Profit Community

On June 17th, Encore Tampa Bay will be hosting another Encore Connect event (sold out as of 6/7/16). We have invited a variety of non-profits who are actively searching for volunteers, board members and paid part-time or full-time employees. This will be your chance to start the “dating process”!

Come join us for this great opportunity to meet face-to-face with some wonderful non-profits who are looking for encore talent.

Encore Tampa Bay is an initiative of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, a registered 501 (c ) (3) organizations. Donations accepted by the Community Foundation to support the work of Encore Tampa Bay are tax deductible.